HANNA POWELL
MEMORIAL PIANO COMPETITION
SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2025 at 3:00PM
FREE ADMISSION – TICKETS ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS PUBLIC EVENT
Sanford Performing Arts Center invites you to the third annual Hanna Powell Memorial Piano Competition, celebrating aspiring pianists and honoring the memory of local pianist and music educator, Hanna Powell.
COMPETITION DETAILS
The competition is open to pianists aged 15-30 who live or study in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont. Finalists will compete for the following cash prizes: First Place: $2,000 / Second Place: $1,500 / Third Place: $1,000
The $1,000 High School Honor Prize will also be awarded to the top high school student, and may be awarded in addition to a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place prize.
Following a qualifying audition round, finalists will be invited to perform up to 15 minutes of music at the final round of competition on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at Sanford Performing Arts Center. A panel of three independent concert pianists will serve as judges for this competition.
Prior finalists are welcome to compete again, with the exception of the prior grand prize, first-place winners.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, pianists will submit an unedited video recording of themselves performing up to 15 minutes of music, featuring at least two works in contrasting styles. Up to 12 finalists will be selected from the video round.
Finalists will be invited to perform up to 15 minutes of music from the same program in the final round, which will take place on Sunday, April 6, 2025 before a live audience at the Sanford Performing Arts Center.
Application deadline is Friday, February 14, 2025 at 11:59pm. Finalists will be notified of their acceptance by Monday, March 3, 2025.
USE THIS FORM TO APPLY. (Finalists are asked to upload their audition video to a video sharing service such as YouTube or Vimeo and include this link in the application.)
HANNA POWELL was a talented pianist, organist, and music teacher born in Finland to a musical family. Her father, being a pianist and organist, held a university position as a music educator. One of her brothers is a violinist and plays in the Turku Symphony orchestra.
Hanna came to America in 1990 to pursue her piano studies. She graduated from DePauw University in Indiana in 1995 where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance and music education in choral emphasis. She studied with Dr. Lorna Griffitt and one semester with French born pianist Claude Cymerman. She then went on to continue her studies with Karen Shaw and world famous pianist Menahem Pressler at Indiana University, where she received her Masters in Piano performance in the fall of 1998.
In the fall of 1999, she pursued her studies in organ and church music history at Indiana University with Dr. Marilyn Keiser. She received her Doctor in Organ Performance and Church Music History degree in 2015. Her graduate thesis is titled Teaching Children Hymns in the Church Setting Using Orff-and Kodály-Based Strategies.
Hanna taught at St. Thomas School in Sanford as a part time music teacher from 2012-2016. She loved teaching children of all ages. In her teaching she liked to emphasize variety and bring children music from different countries. Her students played recorders, African drums, chimes, bells, and boomwhackers. She also taught private piano lessons to many students and helped at Redeemer Lutheran Church with the service playing and children’s music ministry.
Hanna was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in May 2006. Despite battling this illness for 11 years, Hanna remained positive and lived her life to the fullest. Hanna died Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017.
Hanna’s husband Andy and her sons Patrick (SHS Class of 2021) and Jonathan (SHS Class of 2023) are honored to continue Hanna’s legacy through supporting young musicians and their love of music.
